Time and Tide
by csmamj
Summary: The FINAL story of the Lonnie and Monica saga: Lonnie's life has taken some drastic turns. Will he and Monica finally find their way back to each other? Please R
1. Chapter 1

Time and Tide

Chapter 1

Monica Styles was sitting in her office. It was a small space, but nicely decorated with a professional, yet cozy feel to it. She could have easily spent the money for a larger office, but it wasn't necessary. As an interior designer, the majority of her meetings were at her clients' homes. And while her business was doing great, there was no need to spend money unnecessarily.

'House of Styles', Monica's interior design company, had its grand opening at the home of DA Gerard Darnelle about two years ago. Monica used to work for Darnelle when she was in high school. And when she became friends with Harriet Delong after doing design work for Sheriff Bill Gillespie, nailing the Darnelle job was a breeze. What Monica hadn't counted on was Faye Darnelle.

Faye was the quintessential politician's wife. She was pretty, but not too much so, quiet, and an at-home mother to the Darnelles' only child, Becky. But when Becky left for college at the same time Monica showed up with her business plan, Faye Darnelle turned into a woman with a mission.

What was supposed to be a small gathering to showcase Monica's work turned into Sparta's social event of the season at the hands of Faye. Between the politicians, the socialites, and the newspaper coverage, 'House of Styles' ended up with more business than Monica knew what to do with. And she quickly became the most recognized black woman in Sparta, next to Harriet Delong.

"Are those pictures ready, yet?" Monica asked her part-time assistant.

A cute teen-aged girl with light brown skin and almost black eyes responded, "Did I say they was done yet?"

"'Did I say they _were_ done yet.' And keep your attitude to yourself, Trina. Remember, I'm the master of that move!"

"Whatever! I'll let you know when I'm finished." Trina said as she turned back to her small desk and began arranging some recent kitchen photos.

Monica smiled to herself. She had been slipping Trina money for her report cards since the girl was eight years old. But now that she was 14, Monica wanted to give her something more hands-on to keep her focused. Like herself, Trina was from the Bottoms and was pretty much raising herself. If she didn't have something to look forward to, she wouldn't stay in school.

"All right, Shorty. I'm tired. We can finish the pictures on Monday afternoon. I need to go home."

"Fine with me. And I done…I've already told you about calling me 'Shorty'."

"Okay, okay. Look, let's stop and get some food on the way home."

"Cool. But I still get paid for the whole day, right?"

XXX

Lonnie Jamison was out in his front yard. He had been officially promoted to Chief Investigator of the Sparta City Police department a little over a year ago, after Virgil Tibbs moved to Jackson to finish law school. Since he hadn't had a full day off since the promotion, Police Chief Hamp Forbes had given him two consecutive days, with no phone calls. Lonnie was spending this time playing with his two year old son, Will.

"Ball, Da! Ball!" Will screamed between a mouth full of new teeth.

Lonnie smiled. "All right, son. Here it comes!" Lonnie rolled the ball to the little boy who squealed in delight as he chased it across the grass. Just as Will managed to pick the ball up, Lonnie's wife, Lana swerved into the driveway.

"Mommy!" Will ran to his mother, stretched out his arms, and started opening and shutting his hands. This normally meant he wanted to be picked up.

"Not now! I just got home. Here." Lana responded as she handed her son a lollipop.

Lonnie looked at his wife and shook his head in disgust. He never wanted to marry Lana. And to this day, he regretted ever having touched her. But when she told him that she was pregnant, he decided to do right by the child. He had hopes that their baby would make it possible for them to be friends and respect each other enough to make a home for Will. But that never happened. Lana had been a horrible mother, a worse spouse, and a terrible friend; not only to him, but to the woman he was truly in love with, Monica Styles.

Monica and Lonnie had been secretly dating each other for almost three years when they had decided to get married. While Monica was away at school, Lonnie had made a tragic error in judgment; he had a brief sexual relationship with Lana. He and Monica decided to put the affair behind them and made plans to marry. Lana knew she was pregnant the entire time, put kept it hidden until it was too late for her to consider other alternatives. At the exact same time that Lonnie and Monica were planning their wedding, Lana dropped the bomb on him and backed him into a corner. He had no choice but to end his relationship with Monica and to marry Lana.

Lonnie was thinking of all of this when he went and gave Will the hug he wanted from his mother. "Welcome home." He said to his wife. "It's only been, what, twelve hours since we've seen you?"

Lana rolled her eyes. "Like you care. I know you don't love me, Lonnie. So you can stop the concerned husband bit."

"We're adults, Lana. We have a responsibility to make a family for Will. That's kind of hard to do if you're not here. And our son's getting older. He's gonna start noticing that his mama don't want to be bothered with him."

"'Our son.' That's cute. Maybe you should call Monica the Great and ask her how to be a good mother. She seems to be so good at everything else in the world." Lana took her bags and stumbled into the house. She was drunk…again.

Lonnie looked at Will and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Ready to go see Grandpa?"

The little boy's eyes lit up and he clapped his hands. "Pop-pop house!"

XXX

After Monica dropped off Trina, she made her usual rounds through the Bottoms. She still owned the home that she grew up in and rented it out. When her design company began to turn a profit, she also created a small investment company and purchased two more homes in the Bottoms. After using her decorating expertise to fix the homes up, she rented those out, too. The investment company wasn't making the same kind of money her decorating company was. Monica kept the rent low and never hit her tenants with increases. Her goal was to provide the Bottoms with quality housing.

Monica was satisfied with her inspection of her homes. As she was getting back into her car, a familiar voice called to her. "Well, if ain't Lady Styles!"

Monica turned around and saw Jimmy Dawes. "Hey Uncle Jimmy! What's going on?"

Jimmy shook his head. "Nothin but the rent, baby. But, uh, you know that don't 'cha?"

The two laughed for a moment and then Monica spoke. "Jimmy, why don't you come work for me? You're too smart for this and you know it."

"What, you trying to buy a drug store now?" When Monica rolled her eyes and glared at him, Jimmy decided to get serious. "Listen babygirl. Everybody's got they place and they job. My place is in the Bottoms."

"And I guess your job is controlling supply and demand?"

"Yes ma'am it is." Jimmy smiled. "See, if I ain't here doing what I do, somebody else would be. Know who that somebody is? Some rich white man from Jackson or some paid Cuban from New York who don't know these people here and don't care about 'em. You think some I-talian would front Little Ricky his cut early so he could pay his mama rent? Or let Latisha only work from 9pm to 2am so her baby won't know she hookin'? Hell, no! They'd probably kill 'em both just for asking."

Monica wasn't buying it. She had grown up there and had seen everything that Jimmy described. But in her mind, her people had simply given up and had become lazy. She pulled herself out; why couldn't they?

Jimmy smiled again. He knew what she was thinking. He calmed down and spoke again, this time more softly. "You did real good, girl. Believe it or not, all us down here proud of you. You the first thing we ever had to brag on! But don't get it twisted. You ain't do nothing by yourself. A whole bunch of folks, just like me, stayed where we was and kept doing what we do, so you could get to where you are. You may have pulled yourself up by your bootstraps, but them bootstraps was provided to you by the hard-workin, honorable citizens of the Bottoms."

Jimmy winked his eye at her and walked off. She loved that man to death. He'd always been her favorite 'uncle', her word for the string of boyfriends her mother kept before she died. But he had a philosophical streak that, even with her genius capacity, she found difficult to keep up with sometimes.

Monica decided that she needed to go clear her head. And there was only one place in Sparta where she could do it.

XXX

Will was running around the backyard at his grandfather's house chasing Beauregard, his grandfather's dog. It was an easy task for the child, since Beauregard was now 15 years old and too tired to run away from him! Bill Gillespie and his son-in-law, Lonnie, were sitting on the deck. Lonnie had finally decided that it was time to tell the man the truth about his daughter.

"I guess I need some advice, Bill. I've tried to get her into counseling, but she won't go. She's hardly home, and when she is she's passed out. I'm raising Will by myself, but you know that's hard, with me being a cop and all. She needs help. And I thought she might listen to you."

Bill listened, but only with half of his attention. When Lana entered his life when she was 19, he was thrilled. And when he had heard that she and Lonnie were seeing each other, he couldn't have been happier. Of course, there had been talk about Lonnie and Monica Styles, but Bill wanted his daughter with Lonnie so badly that he ignored the possibility that Lonnie was actually in love with the young black girl. There had also been talk that Lonnie and Lana were simply having a casual sexual affair. That was something that Bill refused to accept. The boy had simply been torn between two women he cared for, that's all. And in the end he had chosen Lana. He knew that Lonnie still had feelings for Monica. But in time he would fall in love with his daughter if he would just try.

"Lonnie, I know this hasn't been the fairytale you were looking for. But look at this from Lana's point of view. She's young, she wasn't raised right herself. She doesn't really know how to be a mother. Maybe you could help her, show her what to do."

"Bill, how am I supposed to do that? I didn't have a mama either, not really. Or a daddy."

"I know that, son. I just hope your mother being an alcoholic isn't the reason you're so ready to slap that label on Lana. Maybe she drinks more than you would like, but does that mean she has a problem?"

Lonnie turned his eyes away from Bill for a moment. He knew this would happen, but it was too late to stop and the man had to hear it straight. "Bill, she's a drunk. And I need your help to take care of her."

Bill did something he very rarely did. He got good and damned mad. "How dare you sit here at my house and disrespect my child! If she is a drunk as you claim, maybe you ought to ask yourself why that is! Maybe that's what you need to be fixing and not her."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Bill stood up and pointed his finger at Lonnie. "I mean you, Detective Jamison! You! Lana's told me how you've turned Will against her, always running to be the first to get to him so the boy doesn't want anything to do with her. And that you haven't touched her since Will was born. And don't you think for one minute that I don't why!"

At this moment, Lonnie stood up for a good old-fashioned eye-to-eye with Bill. "Don't say it, Bill. You'd be wrong. And I'd be real mad."

"You've got a beautiful, young wife who'd do anything for you. And here you are, still pining away over that Styles girl! I know it, and Lana knows it. You might've married her, but you've never really tried to make this a real marriage. No wonder she's drinking, if that's the truth. You drove her to it!"

Lonnie was motionless. His arms were at his sides and his wiggling his fingers to help relieve some tension before he hauled off and hit his father-in-law at his own house. He decided to change the subject before things got worse.

"You want me to pick Will up or are you dropping him off?"

"I'll drop him off. It will give me a chance to check on my little girl. You go do whatever it is you do when you're not with your family."

Lonnie stomped down the steps of the deck. He gave his son a hug and a kiss 'good-bye' and left to go somewhere quiet, and to think.

XXX

Monica reached her destination. She hadn't been here in years and she wasn't even sure that the key still worked. But when she heard the latch turn and the door opened, she smiled. Everything was exactly where she had left it. She put her iced tea into the refrigerator and sat on the futon she had purchased three years ago. She closed her eyes and thought about everything that Jimmy had said. And to a degree, he had been right. She laughed out loud at herself. "You're getting soft-hearted in your old age, girl."

"That could be a good thing. Depending on what you're getting soft-hearted about."

Monica opened her eyes and saw Lonnie standing at the front door of their trailer.

XXX

Lana was well into her fourth martini by the time her father arrived with her son. Bill had arrested many drunks during his time in law enforcement. He knew one when he saw one. Normally when he found Lana in this condition, he would try to convince himself that she was tired, that she didn't feel well, or that the problems with her marriage had stressed her out. Today, he couldn't do it. He knew exactly what he was looking at. His daughter was completely intoxicated. Bill took Will upstairs to his room for his nap and then went back downstairs to talk to his daughter.

"Hey, there honey. How's daddy's little girl?"

"Been better, Pop. Seen my husband? I haven't." she lied.

Bill lowered his eyes and then answered her. "Lonnie brought Will over to me. Weren't you here when they left?"

Lana began to cry. "Yes, but I was asleep! He took Will while I was sleeping. I didn't even get to tell my baby 'bye'!"

'_No wonder she's in this state!'_ Bill thought. "Don't worry, Lana. Your daddy's gonna sit right here 'til you feel better."

Bill wrapped his arms around his daughter and rocked her, while Lana laid her head on her father's shoulder…and smiled.

XXX

Lonnie had been standing in the doorway for about five minutes, watching Monica sit on the futon with her eyes closed. He knew that he should have left; he shouldn't have come in at all when he saw her car. But he couldn't stop himself. He missed her. And at that moment all he wanted was to be near her. When she opened her eyes and saw him standing there, he thought that she'd leave. But she didn't. Instead, she gave him a weak smile and said, "I saw your little boy the other day. He's beautiful, Lonnie."

Lonnie smiled back. "Thanks. Your business seems to be doing great. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks."

Neither of them knew exactly what to do next. They hadn't spoken in two years, since the day Lonnie's son was born. The conversation was filled with rage, sadness, and then finally acceptance. Being in each other's presence again was awkward for them both. Sensing the uneasiness, Lonnie turned to go at the exact same time that Monica stood up to leave. As a result, the two of them slammed right into each other. Lonnie caught Monica by her waist to keep her falling, and then the two of them started laughing.

"Isn't this how we ran into each other the last time we spoke?" Monica asked.

"Yeah. I think you have an understandable desire to do me bodily harm."

Monica laughed again and stepped back out of Lonnie's arms. Or at least she thought about stepping back. But somehow, her feet wouldn't move. Lonnie tried to let her go, but his hands seemed to be frozen. He let out a breath and said, "I messed up, Monica. My life's pretty bad right now, except for Will. I probably deserve it. If this is how you felt when we broke up, then I know I deserve it. But I can't keep doing this. I just can't."

Lonnie turned his eyes away from Monica. Without thinking she stroked his face with the tips of her fingers. "LJ, what's wrong?"

Lonnie looked at her and smiled. "It's been a while since I've heard you call me that. It feels good."

Monica took Lonnie's hand and led him outside to the porch. They sat down beside of each other. For a moment, they simply sat there. Then slowly, Monica inched her way a little closer to him. And in turn, Lonnie put his arm around her. When she looked up at him, he brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. Monica laid her head on his shoulder and said, "So… do you want to talk or do you want to just sit here?"

Lonnie rested his head on top of hers. "For the first time in my life, I think I want to talk."


	2. Chapter 2

Time and Tide

Chapter 2

What began as a chance meeting one Saturday afternoon soon turned into regular meetings for Monica and Lonnie. Often times, they laughed at how they had found themselves right back where they started; sitting on a front porch, sharing their day, and fighting the urge to share themselves with each other physically. Lonnie did indeed talk that first afternoon. And he found that opening up to Monica and once again having her undeserved friendship made it easier for him to deal with Lana. He was gentler with Lana and more understanding. He still wasn't in love with her, but he did try to re-establish a friendship with her in order to make her life more bearable and to provide stability for Will. However, the more yielding Lonnie became, the angrier Lana became. And the angrier Lana became, the more she drank. This was the topic of conversation on the afternoon of Will's third birthday party. Lonnie, Virgil, and Sweet were at Lonnie's home, waiting for Lana and Will to arrive with Bill.

"I don't care what's going on at home, Lonnie. There's nothing right about you getting marital advice from your ex-girlfriend. An ex-girlfriend you're still in love with, by the way." Sweet loved Lonnie like a brother, but he had his own opinion about the entire situation. In Sweet's mind, Lonnie had made his bed, so he should lie in it. End of story.

"I agree. You're just asking for trouble." Virgil added. He and Althea had been divorced for about a year now. About the time that Will was born, Virgil had shared with Lonnie that he fathered a child with another woman before he married Althea; a child that he had chosen not to acknowledge. After his talk with Lonnie, he decided to come clean with Althea. Althea worked hard to accept the affair, but try as she did, she couldn't accept that Virgil had abandoned his child. While she respected him for telling the truth, she just couldn't live with him any longer. She did, however, assist Virgil with mending his relationship with his now 14 year old daughter, who Virgil was now seeing twice a year.

Lonnie laughed at his two friends, who had mended their own broken friendship. "Ya'll think that's strange? Monica wanted Lana to be in our wedding."

"Okay, that's pretty deep. But being around her, talking to her, spending all this time with her…isn't it hard?" Sweet asked.

Lonnie smiled slyly. "Near about all the time!"

The guys lost it and laughed so hard that Sweet spilled his soda. "Seriously," Lonnie began. "It's not like we're having an affair."

"Hold on, Lonnie. As an attorney, I have to tell you that you are indeed having an affair. It's an affair of the heart, but it's an affair just the same. And many divorces have been won based on those grounds," Virgil said.

"You mean to tell me that sitting around talking with a good friend is wrong because she's a woman?" Lonnie couldn't believe that.

"No, it isn't. But, having an emotional relationship with a woman that everyone knows you're still in love with is. And when you add to the pot that she's still in love with you, you can kiss Cordelia Woodlin's inheritance 'good-bye' if Lana finds out."

Virgil knew that Lonnie's great aunt Cordelia passed away last year and left him a huge inheritance. He also knew that Lonnie had never touched a penny of it, yet another sore spot with Lana. Instead, he had created a trust fund for Will. Lonnie had told Virgil that he'd managed to live without her money for 33 years, so there was no need to start depending on it now. But, Virgil also knew that Lonnie could indeed lose control of the assets if Lana sued him for infidelity. And by law, Lonnie would be found guilty.

"She's still in love with me? How do you know that?" Lonnie asked.

Virgil laughed and shook his head. "Let's see…she's young, she's beautiful, she's rich, she's well connected, and the only man she's gone out with since her return is me; and I'm her corporate lawyer."

Sweet was completely exasperated. "Okay. Lonnie, you're married. Stop seeing Monica. Virgil, go back to criminal law and stop playing with contracts all day. There! You're both healed. Now, pass me another soda."

While the guys laughed some more, Lonnie's phone rang. Virgil and Sweet watched Lonnie intensely as his face went blank while he spoke. Finally, Lonnie hung up and said, "Lana's had a car accident. Will was with her."

XXX

Virgil drove Sweet and Lonnie to the hospital. When they arrived, they found Bill Gillespie talking with Parker and Bubba.

"Judging by the skid marks, it looks like she was going along just fine, then all of sudden she just swerved. Kinda like she was trying to miss something." Bubba said.

"Maybe you and Parker ought to have Hamp go out there and help Covey and Luke. Maybe see if there were any witnesses. You know… someone who saw a deer or a dog or something." Bill knew in his heart what really happened, but he still couldn't bring himself to believe it.

Parker knew what really happened as well. He had pulled Lana from the vehicle while Bubba was taking care of Will. And he got a good whiff of what caused the accident.

"Chief? I mean, Sheriff? I don't think a dog or a deer caused this." Parker felt very bad saying it, but Bill had to know the truth. Besides, it would all come out in the accident report anyway.

"And just what are you trying to say, Parker?" Bill's voice was slightly raised and was on the verge of anger.

"He's saying she was drunk, Bill." The three men turned around at the sound of Lonnie's voice. Sweet and Virgil were standing behind him.

Bubba was so shocked by Lonnie's statement that he didn't know what to say. Surprisingly, it was Parker who handled the situation. "Well, if it ain't Virgil and Sweet! Bubba, why don't me and you go catch up with the fellows while Bill and Lonnie, uh, talk?"

Bubba was just as shocked as everyone else that Parker was the voice of reason. However, in this situation, he was more than happy to let Parker handle things. "Sure thing, Parker. Sure thing."

After the four men left, Lonnie addressed Bill again. "How are they?"

Bill sat down and rubbed both sides of his head. "Lana's got a few broken ribs. One of them punctured her right lung. She also has severe head injuries from….where her head went through the windshield." Bill broke down and started to cry.

Lonnie sat down beside of him and tried to give him a few minutes to get himself together. But he couldn't wait any longer. He had to know about his son. "And Will?"

After a few more sobs, Bill looked up and responded. "Will doesn't have the same type of injuries, but he's had a lot of blood loss from fairly large cut across his neck. Dr. Robb says he's almost positive he'll be okay, but he will need a blood transfusion. They're both in surgery now. He…he wouldn't answer me when I asked if Lana's chances were as good as Will's."

As Bill began to cry again, Lonnie felt a dark cloud of despair settle upon him. Once again, he had betrayed a woman who trusted him. And once again, he was being punished for breaking that trust.

XXX

"Oh my God! How are they?" Monica was on the phone with Harriet, who was calling from her car on the way to the hospital. She and Bill had finally gotten married last year. Harriet knew the full story of how Lonnie and Lana ended up married; and she had a feeling that Lonnie and Monica were still spending time together, though to what degree she wasn't sure. But Lana was her step-daughter and she had to remain focused on her family no matter how much she cared about Monica.

"I honestly don't know, Monica. Bill was a wreck when he phoned. All I know is that they're both in surgery."

Monica almost didn't ask her next question, but her emotions wouldn't let her keep it to herself. "Does Lonnie know yet?"

Harriet's heart was breaking for the girl. And while she had always seen Lana for the manipulator that she was, her obligation was to her family. "Yes, Parker called him. If Lonnie's made it to the hospital, then he and Bill are together. And I'm on my way now, so Lonnie will have all the support he'll need."

Monica realized her error and regretted it. She and Harriet had become fast friends, but this was Harriet's family. When Monica suddenly became quiet, Harriet realized that she may have been a little too harsh. "I know that you're worried about him, honey. And I do understand. I'll call you and let you know how he is…when I can."

After Harriet hung up the phone, Monica buried her face in her hands and cried for the man that she still loved.

XXX

When Harriet arrived at the hospital, Parker and Bubba had already left to meet Hamp back at the accident scene. She met Virgil and Sweet at the hospital entrance. After kisses 'hello', Virgil filled Harriet in on what Parker felt had happened.

"Is it likely, Harriet? It's just hard for me to imagine that Lana is an alcoholic." Virgil said.

"Not only is it likely, but it's true, unfortunately. I've been waiting for Bill to finally see the truth about that child. But Lord knows this isn't how I wanted it to come about."

Neither of the men knew what to say to Harriet's comment. She decided to let them off the hook. "Thank you both for being here for my family. I guess I'd better get on in there and check on Bill and Lonnie."

When Harriet reached the waiting room, Bill was sitting in a chair in the corner. She didn't see her son-in-law anywhere. Bill stood up when he saw her and she gave him a long hug. Finally she asked, "Where's Lonnie?"

"He's in with Dr. Robb. Will's going to be all right, but he needs a blood transfusion. Lonnie went back about an hour ago to donate and for Dr. Robb to give him an over view of how the transfusion procedure is going to go. Lana's still in surgery."

At that moment, Lonnie returned to the waiting room. He spotted Harriet and kissed her hello.

"That was quick. You donated already?" Bill was surprised to see Lonnie in the lobby so quickly as Dr. Robb said he'd be gone for several hours and would probably have to be kept overnight.

Lonnie looked haggard, tired, and completely drained. "No, Bill. I didn't donate. I couldn't."

"What do you mean you couldn't?" Bill was an emotionally wreck

"My blood type is wrong. Will's an O+. I'm an AB, so I don't carry an O gene."

Bill started shaking his head. "Now, wait a minute. Something's wrong here. How could Will be an O if you don't carry an O gene at all?"

Lonnie took a deep breath and looked at the man with pity. He thought he would have the strength to answer him directly, but even with their fights about Lana, Lonnie loved Bill. He was the closest thing to a father he'd ever had. And for that reason, Lonnie couldn't answer him. But he didn't have to. Harriet answered for him.

"Good Lord! You're not Will's…."

Before Harriet could finish, Dr. Robb's resident surgeon entered the waiting room. "Mr. Jamison? Mr. and Mrs. Gillespie? I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Lana didn't make it. Between her head injuries and the damage to her lung there was nothing we could do, although we did try. I'm truly sorry for your loss. Mr. Jamison, would you like to see your wife now or would you rather wait until…. later?"

XXX

The news of Lana's death traveled quickly, as well as the news that Will was still in need of a blood transfusion. Dr. Robb's team was going through the hospital records trying to locate someone with the correct blood type, as they didn't have it in their blood bank. Virgil had driven Bill home as the loss of his child had rendered him completely incapable of handling additional stress. Harriet stayed behind with Lonnie to wait with Will. Lonnie was about to leave his son's room to sign papers to release Lana's body to the funeral home when one of Dr. Robb's nurses entered.

"Good news! We found a match for little Will."

Harriet looked up immediately. "Really? Who is it?"

The nurse had lived in Sparta her whole life and was currently dating Parker. So she knew everything about everyone in the little town. When she came across the name in the hospital database, she couldn't believe it. She also couldn't wait to tell Parker. But in the meantime, she had a job to do and a little boy's life was in danger. "It's Monica Styles."

Lonnie and Harriet looked at each for a few seconds, and then Harriet spoke. "I'll go get her."

XXX

When Monica received the call from Harriet, she jumped up, showered, and was waiting on the steps of her front porch within 15 minutes. She thought about everything Harriet had said and was still in shock. Lonnie wasn't Will's father. Of course, Harriet hadn't come right out and said that, but Monica was a certified genius. All she needed to know was both Will and Lonnie's blood types. It takes two O genes to produce a child with an O blood type. And since Lonnie didn't have an O gene at all, it was scientifically impossible for him to be Will's father. She couldn't imagine how Lonnie was feeling right now. But before her thoughts could wander any further, Harriet pulled up and blew her horn.

"We don't have much time. The poor little thing is fighting with everything he's got, but we have to hurry." Harriet barely gave Monica time to shut the door good before she was pulling off again.

"Lonnie's not Will's father, Harriet." Monica said.

"We don't know that for sure, Monica."

"Yes, we do. It isn't possible." Harriet didn't respond to Monica because in her heart, she knew that Monica was right. Monica spoke again. "Do you think Lonnie knew…I mean, before today?"

Harriet didn't feel right about answering. Her step-daughter had just died a few hours ago. Her step-grandchild was slowly dying right now. And her husband was completely falling apart. Harriet took her time, but finally answered. "I honestly don't know Monica. But if he did know, it would explain a lot about his and Lana's marital problems."

Monica didn't say anymore. She did know that her blood type was O-; she found that out three years ago when she was hospitalized for severe fatigue. That meant that she could donate to every blood type. She only hoped that they weren't too late to save Will.

XXX

Everyone close to the Jamison family was taking their turn helping out. Sweet had come back to sit with Will, while Virgil had returned to take Lonnie to the funeral home to sign papers and arrange for Lana's body to be picked up. Bubba had switched places with Virgil and now had Bill with him back at the hospital. The two men were walking down the hall to Will's room when Harriet called to them.

"Bill, we're here. I've got Monica."

Bill looked at Monica but his face held no expression. "I suppose I should thank you for being here. But then, since you're the reason my child started drinking to begin with, saving my grandson is the least you can do."

"Bill!" Harriet knew that her husband was hurting, but she was still shocked that he would say such a thing. Bubba had never been more uncomfortable in his life. He had heard about 10 different versions of the Lonnie/Lana/Monica story, and none of them were all the same. All he did know was that Miss Styles was here to help and he wanted to remove her from this situation before it got real bad.

"Miss Styles, why don't me and you see about finding Dr. Robb, uh?"

After Bubba and Monica left, Harriet addressed Bill. "Honey, I know that you're hurting. But you can't blame Monica for this. Lana was sick, Bill. That's why this happened. And don't forget what we found out earlier, either."

"I should've known you'd believe that Lonnie isn't Will's father. There's been a mistake, that's all. A mistake."

Harriet put her arms around Bill and continued. She hated it, but he had to start facing the truth. "There's been no mistake, Bill. It's medically impossible for Lonnie to be Will's father. You know that. You have to accept it. And you have to stop blaming Lonnie and Monica for decisions that Lana made."

Before Bill could respond, Virgil and Lonnie returned. Bill immediately lit into Lonnie. "Your whore just arrived to save Will. And I want you to know that the thought of her blood running through my grandchild's veins makes me sick! But you don't care about that now that Lana's dead, do you? I bet you can't wait to tell everybody why you couldn't donate for Will's transfusion, can you?"

Virgil had never seen Bill like this and had no idea what was going on. He turned to Lonnie and asked, "What in the world is he talking about?"

Lonnie lowered his head, and then looked up to respond. "I've got a blood disorder, Virgil. Nothing serious, but I can't donate to Will. That's why the hospital had to do a search for another match. Right, Bill?"

Finally, after all of the time and harsh words that had passed, Bill had run out of hateful words for Lonnie. He had spent three years defending his daughter's behavior and being angry with Lonnie and Monica. Now Lana was gone, and the man he had always blamed for ruining her life was protecting her honor and his grandson's name. All Bill could do now was nod his head 'yes' and cry.

Harriet took Bill by the hand and addressed Virgil and Lonnie. "Bubba just took Monica to Dr. Robb to start the procedure as soon as possible. I think Bill and I will sit in the waiting room for a few minutes. Why don't you two go join Sweet and wait with Will? We'll be in as soon as Bill is ready."

XXX

The next day, things looked a little brighter for the Jamison/Gillespie family, even though Lana's funeral would be in two days. The transfusion went well and Will was indeed recovering. Due the amount of blood that she had donated, Monica had been kept overnight for observation. Since there were so many people with Will, Virgil decided to slip out and go visit Monica. When he walked into her room, he had a few surprises.

"Hello, Virgil." Althea smiled at him when she spoke.

"Althea, what are you doing here?"

"Well, when I couldn't get in touch with Monica, I called Harriet. After she told me everything that happened, I decided to fly down and be with her. I figured everyone else would be with Bill and Lonnie."

Just as Virgil was beginning to speak, he heard two loud voices. "Daddy!" Virgil turned around and saw Billy and Sarah barreling into the room.

"Hey guys!" Virgil bent down to give both of his children hugs.

"Guess what?" Sarah asked.

"Sissy's here!" Billy answered.

Sarah was miffed. "That's not fair! Daddy was supposed to guess."

"Hi Dad." Virgil turned around and saw his 14 year old daughter, Michelle, standing at the door. He ran to her, gave her a big hug, and then he turned around and looked at Althea.

Althea shrugged her shoulders and spoke. "Michelle's mother and I have been talking. We decided that the kids needed to know each other better. It isn't right that they only see each other when you have them all in Jackson. Since I'm in Philadelphia now and we all live within driving distance, Michelle's been spending a few days a week with me and the twins."

Virgil smiled tears of joy and hugged Althea. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear.

"Hey, I'm the one in the hospital. Are any of you people going to start talking to me?"

Everyone turned around and saw that Monica had woken up. Althea laughed. "Well, at least something is back to normal!"

"I don't know about normal, but I am awake. Thank you for coming, Althea." Monica said.

Althea sat on the bed and held Monica's hand. Monica then spoke to Virgil. "How is he?"

Virgil, who still his arm wrapped around Michelle, answered. "Not too good, honey. He's worn out, which is understandable. But you know Lonnie. He'll be okay in time."

Monica gave a weary smile. "Time and tide."

Virgil looked confused. "What?"

"Nothing," Monica said. "It's just an old saying about how as time passes the old, it brings new changes. I thought of it when you said he'd be okay in time."

Althea and Virgil accepted her answer and turned their attention to keeping the twins from annoying Michelle to death. Monica gazed out of the window and wondered if time would indeed change the tide enough to get Lonnie past this tragedy.


	3. Chapter 3

Time and Tide

Chapter 3

Lana's funeral was two days after Will's transfusion. Sweet stayed at the hospital with his god-son, while everyone else attended the church service. After the burial, friends and family gathered at Lonnie and Lana's home. When the guests began to look for Lonnie to offer their condolences, he was no where to be found. Harriet finally found him sitting under a tree far out in the backyard.

"How're you holding up, Lonnie?" she asked.

"I guess I'm doing okay, Harriet. I suppose you know I wasn't in love with her. But she was my wife and Will's mother. I feel kind of empty."

Harriet smiled, sat down in the dirt, and took her son in-law's hand. "I'd wonder about you if you didn't feel empty." Neither of them spoke for a moment, and then Harriet asked, "What about this thing with Will?"

Lonnie half smiled and said, "Someone told me once that a real man didn't need anybody to tell him when he was looking at his own flesh and blood. I guess I always knew that Will was Lee's, from the first moment I held him in my arms. But after losing Monica and watching Lana turn into an alcoholic, having a son was the only good thing in my life. Even with everything that was wrong with Lana, I suppose I had a little of Bill in me. I just couldn't let myself believe that she'd do something that hateful, and that Will wasn't really mine."

"So, no one knows the truth?"

Lonnie shook his head. "Just the family. And Monica. I'd rather to keep it that way."

Harriet nodded her head in agreement. "Speaking of Monica…are you two…"

Lonnie cut her off. "No. It'd be real bad for us to even start thinking of getting back together anytime soon. But I will tell you that I plan on marrying her as soon as the time is right, and if she'll have me and Will. I'll need your help with Bill on that."

Harriet hugged Lonnie and said, "And you'll have it. Bill's still upset with the funeral and all, but he finally knows the truth about Lana. Monica sent flowers for the service today, by the way. She didn't sign the card, but she told me which ones she sent."

Lonnie smiled. "I knew which ones were hers the second I saw them. It was the sunflowers. She and Lana both loved sunflowers. They said they were a symbol of their friendship." At that moment, Lonnie began to shake. "I need to get out of here for a while, Harriet."

"I understand. Let me get the keys to Virgil's car. It'll be less noticeable leaving than yours will."

XXX

Monica was sitting on the steps of the trailer crying. Even with everything that Lana had done to her, on the day of her funeral all Monica could remember was their friendship. She missed the Lana she had first met, the Lana that had always made her laugh, and the Lana that had been her first friend. Monica also cried for Lonnie, the man she loved who had just buried his wife. She wanted to be there for him, but she knew how inappropriate that would be. So she shared his grief with him the only way she could, by spending the service at their summer place. She had hoped that Lonnie would feel her there and know that she was thinking of him.

Just as she was about to get herself together and leave, a strange car pulled into the driveway. The vehicle was vaguely familiar, but Monica couldn't place it. At that moment, a very tired looking Lonnie stepped out of it. Without thinking, Monica ran to him and threw herself in his arms. Lonnie pulled her close to him and the two of them stood in the driveway, entwined in each other and crying over the loss of the woman who, in her own way, had been important to them both.

XXX

The next year crept by, but things slowly began to get back to normal after Lana's death. Bill and Lonnie had mended their relationship and were back to spending Sunday afternoons together at Bill and Harriet's home. It was on one of these Sunday afternoons that Lonnie decided to tell Bill about his plans to marry Monica.

"Lonnie, I swear that boy of yours is going scare Beauregard into a heart attack one of these days."

Lonnie laughed while they watched Will, who was now four years old, trying to teach the dog how to jump through a hoop. Will thought he'd help the dog by grabbing his legs and forcing them through the hoop himself. "I don't know, Bill. I think old Beau knows it'll be over quicker if he just lets Will have his way."

Bill took a swallow of sweet tea from his glass and said, "I saw Miss Etta the other day. She's enjoying taking care of Will. And having you in the house as well."

Since Lana's death, Etta Kibbey had been taking care of Will when Lonnie had to work. Since Lonnie pulled a lot of late nights and very early mornings, Etta had insisted that Lonnie stay over at those times instead waking Will up. Once again, Etta had a family to take care of, and she loved it. Lonnie saw this as a good place to begin what he wanted to say.

"Bill, I want to tell you that Monica and I are going to start seeing each other."

Bill looked Lonnie dead in the eye. "You mean you haven't already?"

Lonnie saw no need to lie, especially since Bill would know if he tried. "Yes, we have. What I mean to say is that we're going to start seeing each other publicly. We both wanted you to know first."

Even though he knew it was coming, Bill still felt a bit of pain when Lonnie said the words. But it had been a year since Lana was buried. And half the town knew about Lonnie and Monica anyway. He took off his glasses and wiped his eyes.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I suppose you'll be marrying soon?"

Lonnie nodded his head. "In a couple of months."

"You two will be in for a bumpy ride. You know that, right?"

Lonnie smiled. "Yes sir. But my in-laws are pretty good teachers. We figure if we need any advice, we'll go to them."

Bill smiled back. "So I'm still your in-law, uh?"

Lonnie stood up to go. "Yeah. I reckon it's too late to start trying to break in another one. You were hard enough!"

XXX

Lonnie and Monica decided to make their debut at the City Council's Policeman's Ball, two months after Lonnie's talk with Bill. Bill was right when he said that half the town knew they were seeing each other. But after all of these years, no one could truly say that they had ever seen Lonnie and Monica together on a date. The Policeman's Ball would be their first official date.

Luann and Monica were out shopping for their dresses. "I still can't believe you're seeing Ken Covey."

Luann laughed. "You? I still can't believe it. But neither one of us is serious about it. We're just, uh, hanging out."

Monica punched Luann lightly in her arm. "It's about time you got you some! How's work with all of this between you and him?"

"Well, you know your future husband. He figured it out pretty quick. He actually could care less, but now that I'm a Lieutenant, he was worried that Ken might a have a problem taking orders from me, or if we're on a call together we might not be able to keep our heads. Anyway, 'officially', Ken and I are just friends. If there's anything else going on, Lonnie DOESN'T want to know about it."

Monica laughed. "That's him. But I know you and Ken had enough sense not to tell anybody. How'd Lonnie figure out there was anything to talk to you about to begin with?"

Luann suddenly stopped walking, put her hands on her hips, and stared at Monica. "Now, I know you didn't just ask me that question!"

The women laughed and continued on with their shopping trip.

XXX

The Policeman's Ball went better than expected for Lonnie and Monica. Everyone there complimented them as a couple and appeared thrilled that they were there together. Even Holly Colmer was overheard saying that he was glad the two of them were finally dating.

"Now don't get excited," he had said. "I still don't believe in race mixing. But those two right there? They're both sneaky, moody, mean as snakes, and too damn smart for their own good. If they marry each other, we can keep all that craziness contained to one family instead of spreading it all over Sparta! Hell, maybe they'll have a lovers spat and kill each other off…if we're lucky!"

A few brave souls asked if they were engaged, and scolded Lonnie for not having a ring on Monica's finger! The evening went without incident, although Lonnie and Monica were shocked by it. What Lonnie and Monica didn't understand at the time was that the City Council was still getting some static for their treatment of Bill in response to his relationship with a black woman, even though it happened almost three years ago. For that reason, the Council saw Lonnie and Monica as yet another perfect and sad attempt to prove how open-minded they were. Lonnie found out just how cruel the game of politics could be when he arrived for work the next morning.

"Well now, if ain't Capt. Sunshine come to join us all for work!" Parker was grinning from ear to ear as he greeted Lonnie. Lonnie had finally been promoted to Captain about three months ago.

"Good morning, Golden Boy!" Luann sang out.

Lonnie put his hands on hips and stared at his colleagues in frustration. "What in the world are you two talking about?"

Parker, who was still desperately trying to talk Lonnie into training him to become a detective, approached Lonnie and handed him the morning edition of the Sparta Herald.

"We're talking about this," Parker said as he handed Lonnie the paper. Lonnie opened it up and right in the middle of the society page was a half page photo of him and Monica dancing at the ball. The headliner read 'Sparta's Golden Couple'. Underneath were the words 'Will Sparta's Queen of Design and Investigative King Tie the Knot? 68 of Our Readers Are Hoping For a Wedding!' Lonnie rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Well, it looks like Sparta might've finally learned a thing or two. You know, after what they done to the Sheriff and Mrs. Gillespie," Parker said.

Lonnie shook his head, but smiled. Just when he thought Parker was getting better at reading between the lines, he'd miss something that Lonnie felt was fairly obvious. "No way, Parker. This here picture's just another smoke and mirrors sham. They just need something to brag about now that Hamp's leaving."

Hamp Forbes was Sparta's first black police chief. The city council hired him after they ousted Bill in an effort to prove that they weren't racists. However, Hamp had been offered a director's position with the FBI and was preparing to leave Sparta within the next few weeks.

"With Bubba being named acting chief now and being white," Lonnie began, "and Luann's promotion to Lieutenant being almost a year old, they need a new diversity trophy, is all. I promise you, they hate me and Monica as much as they hate Bill and Harriet."

"Well, that may be, Capt. Jamison. But I'm with that there poll. Just when exactly are you two tying the knot?" Bubba had just entered the front office and heard the tail end of the conversation.

"Yeah. This 'star-crossed lovers' routine was cute for the first 100 years, but we're kinda ready for you two to wrap this thing up!" Luann was still smiling as she addressed Lonnie.

Lonnie smiled back. "I wasn't going to say anything until later today. But since ya'll ain't got no patience…..who's going to be off next Saturday?"

At about that time, Hamp came through with an arm full of boxes. He was really going to the miss the guys, but he had to admit that he was a city boy at heart. He couldn't wait to get to DC. "Who needs to be off next Saturday?" Hamp tried to sound forceful, but his smile was a mile wide.

"Hold on there, now. This is my department now, Hamp." Bubba stood up and puffed his chest out at Hamp.

Hamp put down his boxes and lightly punched Bubba in the chest. They both laughed and threw air punches at each other. The two men loved boxing and had been working out together since Hamp joined the department three years ago.

"It's still my department until next Monday," Hamp said, still laughing with Bubba. "And having said that, I think I have a pretty good idea who needs to be off that day and who doesn't. I'll take care of everything, Lonnie. I'll even cover for this sorry excuse of a police chief here! Consider it my wedding gift and my last official act as Sparta's Police Chief."

"Great!" Luann said. "Now, where exactly is the wedding of century taking place?"

XXX

While Lonnie saw the morning paper at the police station, Monica was reading it with Etta and Althea at the Tibbs' house on Elm St. Althea had flown in with the kids for Monica and Lonnie's impromptu wedding.

"It's not exactly what I had in mind, Monica," Althea said over a cup of coffee. "You two have waited so long. Are you sure you don't want a traditional wedding?"

"Right about now, I ain't caring what kinda weddin' it is, long as they get them papers. I'm too old for all this backwards and forwards they been doing." Etta, much like everyone else in Monica and Lonnie's life, was ready for the couple to finally get married.

Monica smiled at both of the women. "Nope. Althea, I really hate destroying your dream, but Lonnie and I couldn't think of a more perfect place for us to get married."

Althea hated it, but she understood where Monica was coming from. "Okay, okay! I'll stop begging. But really, Monica. 'No' to a reception as well?"

Once again, Monica shook her head. "We don't see the need. We don't care about any of that. We know you all love us. We're just anxious to get married."

"Humph." Etta grunted. "I don't see why. Ya'll been celebrating your weddin' night for near about seven years. Ain't no need in being anxious now. He done seen everything."

Etta cleared the table and took the dishes into the kitchen. And as soon as she was gone, Monica and Althea burst into giggling fits.

"What's so funny?" Virgil asked after bounding down the stairs.

"Good morning, Virgil," Althea said as he kissed her on the cheek. "We're just laughing at your aunt."

Virgil and Althea had been spending more time together over the past year. Actually, they were dating. Virgil had left Sparta and moved to Philadelphia to be closer to the twins and Michelle. Neither Virgil nor Althea was rushing things, but it appeared that reconciliation was around the corner. The two of them, along with all three children, traveled down to Sparta together for the wedding.

After Monica and Althea filled Virgil in on what Etta had said, he just shook his head in shame. "I'm really very sorry, Monica. But you know how she is."

Monica laughed. "It's okay Virgil. Just until she finds out that I'm wearing white!"


	4. Chapter 4

Time and Tide

Chapter 4

It was Saturday afternoon and all of Lonnie and Monica's friends had gathered together for their very quick and much anticipated wedding. The invited guest list was small. It included Parker, Bubba, Luann, Gerard and Faye Darnelle, Virgil, Harriet, Sweet, and Miss Etta. Althea was standing as Monica's matron of honor, and Bill was standing as Lonnie's best man. Will was in charge of holding the rings.

The uninvited guest list, however, was much, much larger. Lonnie and Monica had decided to exchange their vows at the place that first knew of their love, the front porch of her house in the Bottoms. And every resident of the tired and broken community had turned out on their own front porches to see this wedding with their own eyes.

Even though the wedding was in the Bottoms, Lonnie and Monica had dressed for the occasion. Lonnie was donning a new pair of jeans, a black T-shirt, a black jacket, and a new hair cut. Monica had chosen a pair of black jeans and a brand new white T-shirt that read 'I'm the Bride!' She did comb her hair for the occasion, but by the time the ceremony started, it had started its usual haywire behavior.

The minister finished his prayer and turned to Lonnie. "Lonnie? Do you have the ring?"

The guests gasped in anticipation. Since the two did not have an official engagement, Monica did not have an engagement ring. And the crowd expected Lonnie to place something spectacular on her hand. He turned to Will who handed him a long box instead. When Monica saw what Lonnie intended to give her, she broke down into tears.

Lonnie took her left hand and placed her silver charm bracelet back on her wrist. She had given it back to him when he left her to marry Lana. The bracelet still had the original charms; the heart for their love, the sun for their summer meeting place, the teddy bear for the child they thought they were going to have, and a tiny ring for the first time Lonnie proposed. But over the years, even while they were apart, Lonnie had continued to add to the bracelet. Monica looked down and saw a diploma for her graduation from college, a briefcase to represent her new business, a sunflower for the good they had seen in Lana, and an O for the blood she had donated for Will.

The minister was utterly confused, but when he saw that there was no traditional ring coming, he just shook his head and asked Monica for hers.

Monica looked at Lonnie and through her tears, she began to laugh. She gestured to Will, who brought a box to her. Lonnie recognized it immediately and all he could do was smile as he realized just how perfect he and Monica were for each other. Monica opened the box and pulled out the silver hair comb that Lonnie had left in her car the day that Will was born. She leaned her head over, wrapped her hair around her head, and placed the comb in her hair. Lonnie could barely breathe when she raised her head. He'd never seen her with her hair completely out of her face; and she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. She then reached into her pocket and handed Lonnie a silver necklace with a charm that read _'Monica Jamison'_, her way of responding to Lonnie's old joke about her hyphenating her name when they got married. Lonnie grinned and placed it around her neck. Next, Monica reached into her other jean pocket and hand Lonnie a new keychain. It was the same as the black corvette keychain she had given him seven years ago, only this time the back was engraved with _'Mr. Monica Jamison'. _Lonnie and Monica began to giggle. And when Miss Etta was overheard saying, "This ain't fittin'! This just ain't fittin'!" they both laughed so loud and so long, that they stopped the ceremony for a full five minutes!

Finally, the minister had passed confusion and had entered frustration with this so-called wedding. He looked from Monica to Lonnie, and then from Lonnie to Monica, both of whom were still trying to stifle giggles. After he heard a few laughs from the guests, he finally just gave up. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Jamison. And may the Lord bless them through their marriage. They'll need it!"

While everyone in attendance gave their applause, Lonnie grabbed Monica and closed his eyes while he held her. He still couldn't believe that he had finally made her his wife. When he finally opened his eyes, he got a glimpse of Jimmy Dawes standing in the street. Jimmy hadn't spoken to Lonnie since the day Lonnie told him he was going to marry Lana. But today seemed to be a day for forgiveness. Jimmy stayed in Lonnie's view long enough to nod his head in approval and for Lonnie to see one single tear glistening in the man's eye. Then he was gone.

Lonnie turned his eye back to Monica. "You know you've got to take shooting lessons, right?"

Monica was stunned. "Why?"

"'Cause you're a 'Jamison' now. I ain't about to let you go skipping through Sparta wearing my name without knowing how to fire a gun!"

XXX

None of the guests had been told where Lonnie and Monica were headed for their honeymoon. Of course, during the small wedding, Miss Etta had made it clear that there was no need for a honeymoon. But where the couple had snuck off too was a huge mystery.

Meanwhile, Lonnie and Monica were at the only place they could imagine spending their first night as husband and wife. They were at their summer place, on the front porch of the trailer, wrapped in each other's arms.

"So how does it feel to be Mrs. Jamison?" Lonnie asked as he kissed her neck, paying extra attention to the necklace that bore his name.

"Almost as good as you kissing my neck!"

Lonnie stopped and eyed her suspiciously. "'Almost', huh?"

Monica smiled. "Well, I could be wrong. Do it again so I'll know for sure!"

Lonnie laughed, but was more than willing to comply. Suddenly, he stopped. "I've got a wedding present for you. Be right back."

Monica waited patiently on the porch. When Lonnie returned, he handed her a small silver frame. In the frame was a worn and faded piece of paper. Monica had to squint to see it, but she finally recognized it. It was the note she had left for Lonnie when she first left for North Carolina. She could still see the words she had written, '_I'll love you always'._

She gave Lonnie a long and intense kiss and then said, "I have a wedding gift for you." She took Lonnie's hand and gently placed it on her slightly swollen belly. "Say 'hello' to Will's little sister."

XXX

A full six months had passed since the wedding. And once again, Lonnie was at the hospital. Monica was having a horrible delivery and he was seeing a side of her that he hadn't seen since she was 16.

"If you say 'push' one more time, I swear to God I'm going to kill you!" Monica was dripping with sweat and gasping for air as Lonnie and Dr. Lowenstein were trying to coach her.

Lonnie had no idea what to do. Lana had been fairly calm due to the medication. But Monica's system hadn't responded to the epidural. She was still in a lot of pain and Lonnie was trying his best not to lose his patience.

"Honey, come on now. Remember what we learned in birthing class. You gotta breathe."

Monica sank her fingernails deep into the skin of Lonnie's hand as another contraction gripped her body. "Oh, shut up!

Lonnie was trying to be supportive, but if this baby didn't hurry up and get here, he was going to kill his wife. "Babe, I need you to push. Come on, honey."

Monica whipped her sweated drenched face around and glared at Lonnie. She gritted her teeth and yelled, "And I need you to go to hell! You breathe! I'll scream!"

And scream she did. Lonnie had been hoping for another boy until this moment. Now he was praying for a girl so they wouldn't have to go through this again!

"I know it hurts, Mrs. Jamison. Just one more good, strong push…just one more and we'll be there." Dr. Lowenstein was used to first time mothers, but this one was really wearing her out.

Monica pushed one last time. After a few moments, she felt her body relax, but she didn't hear the sound of a baby crying. "Is everything okay? I don't hear anything!"

"Everything's fine, Mrs. Jamison. Congratulations, Captain! You've got yourself a track star!" Dr. Lowenstein said.

Lonnie was just glad it was finally over. "So it's a boy?" He asked.

"Hell no!" Dr. Lowenstein responded with a laugh. "It's a girl!"

"Lonnie! Something's wrong!" Lonnie and the doctor turned there attention back to Monica. Dr. Lowenstein looked under Monica's gown and said. "Oh my God! How did we miss that?"

XXX

The next morning, Monica's room was filled with friends and family. Luann, Virgil and Althea had arrived early bearing gifts. And Harriet and Bill had stayed all night.

Lonnie had just handed his daughter to her god-mother, Luann. He and Monica had named her Lauren Cordelia. Lauren for both Lonnie and Luann, and Cordelia for Lonnie's great-aunt. She was a beautiful baby with caramel colored skin, dark brown eyes, and a head full of curly black hair, the spitting image of her mother but with her father's disposition. Lauren had been fairly quiet since her birth, had only cried once, and spent her time awake looking around and observing.

Virgil, after quite a bit of protest from Luann, finally had Lauren in his arms. "Well, it looks like all that time you spent living with us paid off!"

Monica laughed and looked down at her son that she had just finished nursing. Somehow or another, all of the ultrasounds had missed the tiny baby boy that was hiding behind his sister. "I knew I'd inherent something from you all, but this is more than I expected!"

Lonnie and Monica's son was the exact opposite of his sister. He was fair skinned, almost white, with light eyes and a few sprigs of light brown hair. And while he looked like his father, this one screamed from the moment he came out. The only time he wasn't crying was when he was nursing or asleep. He was definitely his mother's child.

Harriet laughed. "Now, Monica. You and Lonnie did have a lot of lost territory to make up for."

Bill was now holding the little boy, and was trying to calm him down. "I still can't believe you two haven't come up with a name for this boy, yet."

"Let's name him Will Jr.!" Will said. At five years old, he was ecstatic to have both a baby sister and a baby brother to boss around. Naming his brother after him made perfect sense.

Monica laughed as Will climbed up on the bed to be near his step-mother. "Will, honey. Sons are named after their daddy's, not their brothers."

"So what's the hold-up? Hurry up and name that boy before he grows up with a complex." Everyone looked up to identify the male voice that had spoken. Monica smiled when she saw it belonged to Jimmy Dawes.

"Uncle Jimmy! I can't believe you left work to come see me."

Jimmy smiled. "Don't flatter yourself. One of my colleagues is in here with a gunshot wound. Your husband knows him."

Lonnie said nothing, but smiled back. He was the officer who had fired the shot.

"Anyway, I just came down to let the man know not to worry about his family while he in here. I'm taking care of them, so all he got to do is rest."

"Yeah." Lonnie responded with a grin. "And answer all of our questions about the drug bust from the Jimmy Dawes Approved Answer list, right?"

Jimmy gave a fake genuflect. "But, of course! So, who is this?" Jimmy was looking at the baby girl that Virgil was holding.

"Lauren Cordelia." Lonnie answered.

Jimmy played with her for a second and then walked over to Bill and eyed the baby boy. "Well, just name this one Lonnie, Jr. '_Lauren and Lonnie'_ sound like some twins."

Monica shook her head. "Super Cop over there has issues with naming sons after their fathers. He's afraid our son will grow up with self-esteem issues. And I have an issue with matching twin names. I want them to be individuals. Besides…I finally picked a name."

Lonnie was surprised. "Really? What?"

Monica looked straight into Jimmy's eyes. "I was thinking of Dawson. Dawson Elliot Jamison."

Jimmy didn't say a single word. And for a moment, he and Monica just stared at each other. Lonnie didn't speak either, but he had always had a feeling that Monica knew that Jimmy was her father. The other visitors were starting to feel the tension, so Jimmy spoke.

"Elliot. That's for your mama, Elise. Right? "Jimmy asked.

Monica smiled. "Yeah. For my mama."

At that moment, Dawson began to scream again and Lonnie stood up to relieve Bill. Lonnie cradled the child in one arm, and Jimmy looked at the baby one last time before he left. Before he exited, Jimmy shook Lonnie's hand. "You did alright, man. You did alright." And then, he was gone.

Luann looked at everyone in the room. They seemed to be just as confused as she was. She finally let her eyes settle on Lonnie and Monica. "What was that?" she asked.

Lonnie held his wife's hand and smiled. "Just the tides changing, is all. Just the tides changing."


End file.
